The third instalment of the Southeast Asia Health Security Roundtable Series took place from 24 to 25 May 2024 at Parkroyal On Beach Road. Themed “Leadership and Communication in Major Epidemics”, the roundtable aims to support regional and national capacities for detecting and responding effectively to infectious disease outbreaks by fostering regional dialogue on health security.
The event brought together over 30 esteemed thought leaders from 12 countries to discuss leadership and communication strategies during a major public health emergency. Professor Kenneth Mak, Director-General of Health at the Ministry of Health, graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.
The sudden and unprecedented occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic has elucidated both the successes and gaps in the world’s responses to major public health crises, accentuating the pivotal role of transparent communication in the dissemination of accurate information and the cultivation of public trust.
Hence, the roundtable was set up with the following objectives:
- Sharing of experiences in the coordination and management of the COVID-19 pandemic with regards to communication infrastructure and strategies;
- Developing a deeper understanding of agile leadership and crisis communication; and
- Country sharing to adopt best practices with regards to communication strategies and leadership style.
Professor Hsu Li Yang, Vice Dean of Global Health at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Director for the Asia Centre for Health Security, provided Welcome Remarks, where he emphasised the imperative to foster regional dialogue and the exchange of experiences in health security and pandemic preparedness as essential measures for preventing future outbreaks.
Dr Paul Huleatt, Counsellor (Health) Australian High Commission, also highlighted the importance of the roundtable as a timely platform to facilitate dialogic sharing and collaboration amongst countries in view of burgeoning health security issues.
Over the two days, representative from various countries shared presentations on the lessons learned and best practices adopted in the management of the pandemic. Issues such as crisis communication strategies, management of misinformation and disinformation, and coordination of cross-border health responses were discussed.
This Roundtable was hosted by the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health in collaboration with Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD), Indonesia, and Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), Thailand, and is supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP).
The School would like to thank all the speakers, facilitators, and participants for their invaluable contributions. It is hoped that the roundtable has served as a platform for building sustainable partnerships and dialogic exchange between countries and strengthened our collective resilience towards addressing the challenges posed by major epidemics.